Almost Toast

(re-run)

Marlene and her friend Beth came out to California from New Hampshire after college to work for Bank of America. They each made a new friend, and each new friend brought another friend to the party (plus one more) until they were a group of seven recent college graduates, living in the city of San Francisco. It was 1972. They started their adulthood together — a West Coast version of Monica, Rachel, Chandler, Joey, Ross, and Phoebe.
Then their jobs took the seven friends to different parts of the world: Tapei, London, New York, The Philippines. Todd came back to the Bay Area, got married and had a son. Marlene kept working for Bank of America.
Todd got divorced in 1992 and mentioned it in his Christmas letter to Marlene. By this time she had moved back to the Bay Area. She knew his mom and gave her a call.
“You should call him,” his mom said.
Marlene took the advice. After all, she already knew Todd well from their San Francisco days.
Todd had bought a house in Canyon, an East Bay town between Moraga and Oakland. He was open to getting together. Marlene felt comfortable with him. They hung out together, a lot.
One day, Todd’s mom came by and said, “You’d better marry this gal, Todd, or else you’ll be toast.”
It took seven more years, but Todd listened to his mother. He married Marlene in 2000.
Todd and Marlene enjoy life together in Canyon between two marijuana plantations.

Couldda Wouldda Didda
Sometimes old friends make the best spouses.